Clamp for electrical conductors



March 25, 1924. 1,488,347

T. F. JOHNSON, JR

CLAMP FOR ELECTRICAL CONDUC'IORS Filed July 1921' .Tomlinson 'F Johnson Jr.

INVENTOR ATTORNEY Patented Mar. 25, 1924.

UNITED STATES roMLINsoN roar JOHNSON,

an, or ATLANTA, ononem.

CLAMP FOR ELECTRICAL CONDUCTORS.

Application filed my a, 1921.

To all whom it may concern I Be it known that I, ToMLINsoN F. JOHN- soN, J12, a citizen of the United States, residin at Atlanta, in the county of Fulton and btate of Georgia, have invented new and useful Improvements in Clamps for Electrical Conductors, of which the following is a specification.

v This invention has reference to clamps for use in connection with electric installations,

and its object is to provide a clamp to be applied to an electric line conductor for coupling the latter to another conductor, where 7 it is desired, for instance, to couple a branch conductor, or a switch, or a lightning arrester, or some other electrical device to the line conductor for feeding such device temporarily, or semi-permanently from the line conductor.

It has heretofore been proposed to employ clamps for connecting up jumper or other conductors to a main line conductor, especially temporarily, but such clamps, on account of their construction, have been adapted for light duty only, while the present invention is "so desi ned that it may be em- 1 ployed for heavy duty. In order to accom pllsh this purpose the heavy duty clamp is Serial No. 482,750.

vent accidental separation of the jaws. Moreover, one jaw of the clamp has wings thereon to serve as guides for the other jaw, and the Wingless jaw has studs thereon 'lpermitting engagement by the eye-bolt. urthermore, the jaw with the studs thereon contains 'a socket with a set screw for attaching a jumper wire to the clamp, and at the.end of the last-namedjaw, remote from the eye-bolt,1is another eye, for the application of a manipulating stick for handling the clamp to apply it to, or disengage it from, a line conductor.

The invention will bebest understood from a consideration of the accompanying drawing, forming part of this specification, with the understanding, however, that the invention is not confined to any strict conformity with the showing of the drawing, but may be changed and modified, so long as such changes and modifications mark no material departure from the salient features of theinvention, as expressed in the appended claims.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is'a front elevation of a clamp embodying the invention and shown applied to a line conductor, and with a manipulatmade devoid of sprmgs, because the heat ing stick indicated. in dotted lines as assogenerated by the electric current passing through the springs is liable to render the springs useless.

The heavy dut clamp is not only springless, but is capab e of carrying. much heavier currents than clamps as heretofore made, while very much better contact between the clamp and the main line conductor is obtained. Moreover, the clamp iseasier and cheaper to build-than one having springs in to its make-up, and can be sold at a lower price, besides withstanding overheating due to over-loads which would ruin a spring clamp.

In accordance with the invention the clamp is made up of-two jaws, having .an

extent of separation to grip a line conductor between them, these jaws being hinged together at one end without a. posltive connection therebetween, further than the presence of a screw bolt having a threaded stem extending through a threaded pa$age inone jaw and an enlarged smooth passage in the other jaw, with one jaw guided by the other jaw. Adjacent to the threaded bolt the jaws are traversed by a loop of wire, with the terminals of the loop twisted together to preciated with the clamp.

Figure 2 is a rear elevation of the clamp shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a side elevation of the clamp also indicating the manipulating stick.

Figure 4 isan upright central section of the upper end of the clamp applied to the line conductor.

In the drawing, there is shown a clamp composed of two jaw members 1 and 2, having at one end coacting separable ends 3, 4, with one end 3 provided with side wings 5, loosely embracing the sides of the end 4, one end interfitting the other to prevent any material lateral movement of the members relative to.eaoh other. The connections between the two members may be described as a hinge connection though there is no pivot between the parts.

In order to provide a certain amount of play between the ends 3. and 4, the two' jaw members have spaced matched perforations 6, through which there is threaded a wire loop 7, with the ends twisted together,

roo-

' as indicated at 8, to constitute a safety tie wire. The member 1 is of generally rectangular outline throu bout the greater portion of its area wit the end 3 contracted in width, and the other end, shown at 9, in the form of a socket, desi ed to receive a jumper or other wire con uctor 10 held in the socket by a set screw 11. The end 9 terminates in an eye 12 projecting at an angle to the length of the member 1, and designed to receive a manipulating horn 13 carried by a head 14, fast to one end of a manipulating stick 15, which forms the subject matter of another application for Letters Patent filed of even date herewith.

Associated with the member 1 is the member 2 of approximately the same shape, but having oppositely disposed shoulders 16, of somewhat greater s read than the body of the member 1, sai shoulders having outstanding ta ered lugs 16 which embrace thesides of t e member 1 and serve as guides. The shoulders and lugs are in transverse alinement with the clamping means for the members.

In order to impart strength to both members while reducing their weight, they are referably made of web-and-flange form. be two members 1 and 2 have registering openings, which are traversed by a screw stem or shank 17, terminating at one end in an eye 18, wherefore the shank and eye constitute an eye-bolt, while the free end of the shank 17 is upset as shown at 19 to prevent the eye-bolt frombeing fully unscrewed. Theopening 1 in the member 1 is longer in diameter than the diameter of the shank 17 and is unthreaded, while the openin 2 in the member 2 is threaded so als ta) engaged by the threads of said. s an a The headed end .19 and the wire loop 7 prevent separation ofthe two members 1 and 2, to an extent which might cause the accidental dropping of one of the members.

The member 2 terminates at the end remote irom the end 4 in a prolonged tail 20, curvmg away to some extent from the socket 9, whereby the socket. 9 and tail 20 form a converging entrance to the clamp, directing the clamp toward the line wire so that the clamp and line wire may be located in a recess 21 of the member 1, designed to sezagthe line wire, which latter is indicated a a Between the eye 18 and the shank 17 of the eye-bolt, there is provided a circumferential shoulder 23 to'engage In .24 projecting from the corresponding ace of the member 1, so that the eye-bolt 17, 18, may rock to a limited extent with reference to the member 1, without subjecting the screw stem 17 to harmful strains.

' When it is desired to couple up the clamp with the'line conductor 22, or other carrier of current, the manipulating stick 15 is attached to the clamp by passing a horn maaaar 13 through the eye 18, with the bolt 17 partly unscrewed, so that there is room enough between the jaws 1 and 2 to permit rent be transmitted through the clamp, such heating is quickly destructive to the spring and to the degree of contact pressure obtained.- With this invention, the contact is only limited by the area of engagement and the pressure of the contact, and even should the overload be very pronounced, no harm can occur for there .is no condition established by the overheating which would tend to draw the temperof the springs.

It will be noted that the win s 5 are rovided on the jaw member 1, w 'le the u s 16 are formed on jaw member 2, so that t e two members are respectively embraced, on the one hand by the wings and on the other by the lugs. I

The clamp structure is easier and cheaper to build than,0ther clamp structures of like heating will occur should a heavy curand nature. and can therefore be sold at a lower The claims of this application are generic.

to the invention disclosed in my later application, Serial No. 611,790, which app cation embodies a further improvement on the type of clamp disclosed herein.

What is claimed is:-

1. A springless clamp for electrical conductors, comprising two associated jaw members with an interfitting loose engagement at one end, and at the other end of the clamp rovided with a mouth for receiving an e lcctric line conductor, and ,a bolt screw-threaded through one jaw member and terminating beyond the other jaw mem-. ber in a manipulating eye, whereby it'may be turned from a distance.

2. A springless clamp for electrical conductors, comprising two associated jaw jaw member and freely traversing an unthreaded opening of the other jaw member, and at the other end terminating in a turning means.

3. A springless clamp for electrical conductors, comprising two asociated jaw members having an interfitting connection at one end and provided with matching openings, connecting means for the jaw members traversing said openings, and a bolt adjacent to the connecting means, said bolt being threaded through one jaw memher and freely traversing the other jaw member, and at the outer end terminating in a turning means adapted to receive a manipulating device. 7

d, A clamp for electrical conductors, comprising two associated jaw members havin an interfitting loose enga ment at one on and provided with matchlng perforations, a wire loop traversing the perforations and having the ends twisted to ether to form an elongated loo and a c am in means for the jaw mem rs to cause the latter to bind upon a line conductor lodged between them. i I

5. A springless clamp for electrical con doctors, comprising two associated jaw members with an interfitting loose connection at one end, and at the other end diverging to form an entrance or mouth for receiving a line conductor a bolt screwthreaded through one member and passing through an opening of the other member, said bolt being located between the loose connection an the portion of the clam which engages the line conductor, and gui ing means on one member to overlap the other member, whereb to prevent lateral movement of the mom are with respect to each other.

6. A springless clamp for electrical conductors, comprising two elongated associated jaw members with a loose connection at one end and diver tug at the other end to receive a line con uctor, one of the members being formed with a seat for the line conductor and with a socket to receive a jumper conductor, and adjacent to the socket being formed with an eye for a manipulating device, means on one member for preventing lateral movement of the other member with respect thereto, and a bolt screw-threaded through one member and loosely traversing the other member and terminating at the end remote from the threaded portion in a manipulating e e.

7 A springless clamp for electrica conductors having coacting jaw members to embrace a line conductor, with one member providedwith-a socket at one end to receive a jumper conductor, and having means to hold the jumper conductor in place, an elongated loop traversing the jaws to hold them loosely together, and a clamp screw also traversing the jaws and havin means at one end 0 from a distance.

8. A springless clamp for electrical conductors, havin means at one end for the atinterfitting connection at the other end, with the first-named end of the clamp having diverging extensions to facilitate the placing of the clamp in operative relation to a line r manipulating'the 0 amp screw .tachment of t e jumper conductor, a loose conductor, means on the clamp at an interor mouth for the insertion of the line condoctor, means to prevent relative lateral movement of the members, means at the other end for loosely en aging the members, and a clamp screw for rawing the two members together for clamping said conductor, said scilew having a manipulating means at one en 10. A springless clamp for electrical conductors, comprising two members havin their upper ends interfitting, with one on provided with wings loosely "embracing the sides of the other member, lugs provided on said other member and loosely embracing the member having the wings, a seat for a line conductor provided in one of said members, and a screw for connecting said members and clamping said conductor.

11. A springless clamp for electrical conductors, comprising two associated jaw members with a loose interfittin engagement between them at one end an at the other end provided with a mouth for receiving an electric line conductor, said members being co'activel shaped to seat the line conductor, and a be t having a screw-threaded connection at one end with one jaw member and passed through an unthreaded opening of the other jawmember, and at the other end terminating in a turning means, said bolt having an annular shoulder at an intermediate point of its length, and spaced diametrically-disposed lu on one of the jaw members to be engage by said shoulder, whereby the bolt may rock to a limited extent.

12. A springless clamp for electrical conductors, com rising two associated jaw members having a mouth for receiving an electric line conductor, said members being not i shaped to seat the said conductor, and means for securing the clamp to the line conductor, comprising a screw arranged to bind the clamp in embracing relation to the line eonductor, said, screw being provided at the outer end with a turning means and at a point between the turning means and the meme? other end with an annular shoulder, and lugs on one of the jaw members to be engaged by said shoulders. 10 In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto aflixed my signature.

TOMLINSON FORT J OH NSON, JR. 

